Choices
by Amazing TEEN Authoress
Summary: Things are hectic for Sophie Newton. She's been called back to the Enterprise for help capturing John Harrison, and her urges are haywire when she sees Spock again, even though she's got a boyfriend. Meanwhile, back in the 21st century, Taylor Gray is curious as to how Sophie gets to the 23rd century, and makes a bad choice to investigate. And Sophie has her own choices to make.
1. Chapter 1: The Wait is Over

**Hello, my lovelies! I'm back from my vacation and totally amped to write the sequel to "Sophie!" I hope you enjoy! **

I always felt guilty whenever I did anything with him. Whenever I hung out at his house, I always was reminded of the time I'd spent in private rooms with Spock, my best friend. Whenever I hugged him goodbye, I always inwardly thought that Spock's hugs had been so much better. When I kissed his lips, I was always reminded of how much nicer Spock's had felt. But how could I have refused? When he'd asked if I wanted to be more than friends with him last year, I hadn't thought of a nice way to say no, so I'd accepted. We'd been dating ever since, and whenever I did anything with him, I always felt guilty about spending time with my boyfriend, Evan Guizzo, with the fear that I was being disloyal to Spock.

"You were quite the celebrity back then," Guizzo commented. We were sitting on his couch, flipping through a photo album. We were looking at a picture of me, Taylor, Elise, Aya, and Lorena on the school's field. It was a few days after I'd returned from my adventure, and we'd been taking pictures for yearbook. The picture had been taken by Samantha Thom, who was on the yearbook committee.

"Yep," I muttered distractedly.

A day didn't go by where I didn't think of my adventure. It had been amazing, and the man I'd thought hated me had actually loved me.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" Guizzo guessed.

"You caught me," I admitted.

"That's just crazy," he commented. "I'd never have guessed that you were half-Vulcan."

"I never would've, either," I agreed. "Do you mind that I've kissed Spock?"

"You were best friends," Guizzo said. "I don't blame you for that. He probably thought you remembered and thought you loved him."

"That's the thing, Evan!" I exclaimed. "I told him I didn't remember! So he obviously loved me, not because I'm his old friend Saa'ya, but because I'm _me_, Sophie Newton. He thought I was dead."

"Look," Evan said, "Matt and Jordan are waiting for me for soccer practice. I'll see you later." He stormed out of the house, and I could tell he was mad.

"Spaz," I muttered.

I left a few minutes after him. It was clear that I wasn't wanted in his house any more today. I went back up the hill and then down Qu'Appelle to my house. I don't live very far from my old school. It's probably a five minute's walk from my house to the school. I don't envy Elise, who lives in Juniper West, or Taylor and Sierra, who live in the Benchlands.

"Back already?" Mom asked when I came in.

"Evan had soccer practice," I explained.

I glanced at my wristwatch that wasn't really a watch. It was a communicator that allowed me to speak with my friends from 2258.

"Hey, Soph," my brother said. "I'm goin' to the store. Need anything?"

"Strawberries," I said. "One can never have too many of those." Scott smiled at me.

ONE YEAR LATER

I sat in Social Studies, listening to Mr. Humphrey drone on and on about Ancient China or some shit, when I heard static. "Kirk... Sophie... to.. Sophie." Mr. Humphrey glared at me.

"If you've got to answer that, go in the hall," he told me.

I got up from my seat and went into the hallway. "Sophie to whoever this is," I snapped.

"Kirk to Sophie," said James T. Kirk, bright and clear. "We need you for duty aboard the _Enterprise_. We've been sent to the Klingon planet to capture John Harrison, who's bombed several buildings in London. He killed Pike, so it's urgent."

"Oh, no!" I cried. "I'll be there immediately!" I raced into the kitchen. "Mom, I need you to beam me aboard the _Enterprise_. Kirk needs my help in capturing John Harrison- Khan. Kirk says it's urgent, and I believe him. I think it's true. In one of the bombed buildings, Pike was killed. They need me."

"Oh, that's horrible," Mom commented, "But I'm glad you're going back. It'll be nice for you to see them again."

"Yes," I agreed. "I want to see Bones and Scotty- and Spock, of course."

Mom showed me to the beaming room. She flicked a few switches, and I was instantly warped two hundred years into the future and into space aboard the warship USS_ Enterprise_.


	2. Chapter 2: Beaming Aboard

When I ended up in the transporter room of the _Enterprise_, I stumbled a bit before straightening up. Scotty's mouth fell open when he realized that he didn't know me. He called for security, and four men in official-looking uniforms came in, carrying guns set to stun.

"Hold it!" snapped one of them, the biggest one. "You're not authorized to be in here, or on this ship, for that matter."

"Hey, Captain Kirk himself invited me onto this ship!" I exclaimed. "Don't tell me that he didn't tell _anybody_ that I was coming? He must have a really bad memory. He asked me only minutes ago."

"Captain Kirk is busy," hissed the man. "And who has proof that he ever really asked you in the first place?"

"I have none," I admitted.

"Because there is none!" he exclaimed. "You claim to have been invited onto the ship, but I can assure you that if that were the case, we would have been notified. No mention of any visitor has been made by Captain Kirk."

"Sir, I can assure _you_ that I am a friend of Captain Kirk, not to mention Mr. Spock!" I insisted. "Anyone on the bridge could tell you that I am Chief Navigator Sophie Newton, reporting for duties personally assigned to me by Captain Kirk!"

"That's what they all say," said the man. "Come with us."

Their grips on my shoulders were tight as they hauled me along. I struggled to break free, but all four men were quite strong. I realised that we were going to the cell bay. So this was what they did now? Imprison intruders without taking them to the captain for questioning? What had the crew come to?

The cell door opened, and they tossed me inside.

"Wait here until the Captain comes and sees you," snapped the man. "Then he'll decide whether you're telling the truth."

I sighed. Why were people from the future so convinced that everyone was a liar and something bad?

There were no means of escape. The only way I could get out was when Jim confirmed that I was who I said I was. Though I punched and kicked the door, hoping that by some miracle, it would break, I was sure I wouldn't get out.

Two of the four security men led Jim into the cell bay. He looked confused, but when they parted, he saw what he was supposed to see and sprinted forward.

"What's this?" he demanded.

"This girl boarded our ship without any sort of authorization from Starfleet or anyone else," one of the men explained.

"So why didn't you bring her to the bridge?" Jim asked.

"That's what I _told_ them!" I exclaimed. "I said that normally I would've been brought right to the bridge!"

"Back to your duties," Jim said.

The two men left the cell bay, and Jim released me. We walked quickly to the bridge.

"So, what's this mission really about?" I asked Jim.

"A week ago, someone named John Harrison shot at a meeting of Starfleet captains and first officers, discussing the bombing of the Kelvin Memorial Archive which had occurred three days previous," Jim explained. "During this shooting, Captain Pike was killed, and then a transwarp beaming device was discovered in the wreckage by Mr. Scott, with coordinates to the one place he thought we were unwilling to go: Kronos. But we're headed there now. We are going to target him with 72 photon torpedoes. We'll fire, we'll kill, and we'll leave."

I nodded. "Sounds good."

"I take it you're still interested in being chief navigator?" Jim asked.

I nodded again. "I sure am."

"Good. Then go put on a yellow shirt."

I smiled. "Thanks, Captain."

I went off to the room where they kept the extra uniforms. I pulled a yellow shirt that was in my size off the rack and put it on. I started off toward the bridge. On my way, I happened to run into Bones, who looked positively startled.

"Nice surprise, running into you," I said. "Long time, no see."

"I hadn't heard you were coming back," said Bones.

"Bones, haven't you learned by now that Jim doesn't tell anyone anything?" I asked.

"I suppose you're right," Bones admitted. "But what are you doing here?"

"Jim requested my help in capturing John Harrison," I explained. "He must figure I know something that the rest of you don't."

"Don't see how," Bones said.

"I know," I agreed, though I secretly thought that if he found out that I really did know about everything that would happen, he'd freak out. "I wonder where he got that idea."

"I assume you're looking for Spock?" Bones asked.

"No, I'm going to the bridge," I said. "I have duties, you know. I'm still chief navigator. I have to get this ship to where it needs to go."

Bones rolled his eyes. "If I know your luck, the next person you'll run into on your way there will be him."

I chuckled. "Maybe," I agreed. "I'll see you later."

Bones nodded. I left him and continued towards the bridge. I was so flustered and excited that I didn't watch where I was going, and crashed right into someone who'd been walking the opposite way.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, and looked up at who I'd run into.

Bones had been right. The person I'd crashed into was Spock.


	3. Chapter 3: Battle with the Klingons

I stammered in my words for a few seconds before finally managing to say, "Hello again."

I was at a loss for words. Here he was, the man who'd been on my mind in the whole time I'd been gone, and I had nothing to say to him. What was wrong with me? This was the moment I'd been waiting for, and I had nothing to say!

Finally, Spock broke the awkward silence by saying, "Welcome back."

I smiled, and I thought I'd never smiled wider than I had at that moment.

"Thank you," I said. "It's good to be back."

"I assume you are filling your old post as chief navigator?" he guessed.

"Yes," I confirmed.

"Then, if it is no trouble, may I escort you to the bridge? I would assume that your knowledge of its location might be somewhat fazed," said Spock.

"No, it's no trouble," I assured him. "I've probably gotten lost somewhere anyway."

So I walked side-by-side with Spock to the bridge. I was almost bouncing when I walked. My heart was racing at a million miles an hour. Part of this was shock, the other, joy. My life back home seemed incredibly dull now that I was here.

The ship suddenly rocked violently, causing both of us to fall over.

We instantly got back on our feet and sprinted to the bridge.

"Sophie, do you know what's going on here?" Jim demanded.

"There's a leak in the warp core," I explained. "Trust me, I know."

"Mr. Sulu, how far away from Kronos are we?" Jim asked.

"20 minutes, sir," replied Sulu.

"Lieutenant Uhura, you speak Klingon, right?" Jim asked.

"It's rusty, but I think so," said Uhura.

"Sophie?"

"I'm not fluent, but I know a few words that would help us," I said.

"Good, then you're coming with us," Jim said.

"You're not actually going down there, are you?" Sulu asked.

"Yes, we are," Jim confirmed. "Prepare a shuttle. Mr. Sulu, you have the comm." Sulu stared at Jim incredulously. "Is that a problem?"

"No, sir," said Sulu. "I've just never sat in the chair before."

"You'll do great," Jim assured him. "Tell John Harrison that we've got a bunch of real big torpedoes aimed at his head, and that we're not afraid to fire if he doesn't do exactly what we say."

Sulu nodded.

Spock and I followed Jim to the hangar, where a shuttle was prepped and ready to fly.

Before leaving, we changed into casual clothes, so that if there were Klingons there, they wouldn't assumed that we had any connection to Starfleet.

I boarded the shuttle and sat across from Jim. The shuttle took off and left the ship.

About 15 minutes later, Jim made a comm call to Sulu.

"Mr. Sulu," Jim said, "Give him your message."

Over the comm, I heard Sulu say, "Attention, John Harrison. This is Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Enterprise. We have fully armed torpedoes locked onto your location. A team of highly trained officers is on its way. If you do not surrender to them immediately, we will not hesitate to fire every single one of those torpedoes. Sulu out."

I made a mental reminder never to piss Sulu off.

The ship entered the Kronos system. Uhura and Spock started to argue. I assumed it was mindless bickering, until I heard the phrase, "You didn't seem to care when you almost died in that volcano."

"You almost…" I choked, "You almost died?"

That caught me off guard. Someone had to tell me this story when we got back to the ship.

The ship suddenly swayed dangerously sideways.

"Klingons!" I exclaimed. "Shit."

The Klingons kept shooting at us as we tried to escape. We wove around abandoned structures, hoping to evade them, but the Klingons kept shooting still.

"I know how to lose them!" Jim shouted. There was a tiny crevice ahead.

"We won't fit," Spock said.

"We'll fit!" Jim said.

"Captain, we will not fit!" Spock argued.

"We'll fit, we'll fit!" Jim insisted, turning the ship vertical and squeezing through the crevice.

I screamed as the ship was turned completely vertical. I felt my stomach drop about a foot. I wasn't used to this kind of flying.

I shut my mouth and eyes, hoping to keep the sickness I felt from showing. The ship suddenly levelled out, and I opened my eyes and mouth and breathed the air.

"I told you we'd fit," Jim said smugly.

"I'm not sure that qualifies," said Spock.

I rolled my eyes.

"Any sign of them?" Jim asked.

"No, and that's what worries me," Uhura said.

"We lost them!" Jim exclaimed.

"Or they're jamming our scanners," Uhura protested.

"Or, we've lost them," Jim insisted.

Just then, there was an announcement in Klingon, and I was fairly sure they were ordering us to land, so that's what we did.

"We don't have many options," said Uhura. "They're going to torture us, question us, and they're gonna kill us."

"So we come out shooting," Jim suggested.

"Jim, we're outnumbered, outgunned. There's no way we survive if we attack first. You brought us here because we could speak Klingon," I reminded him, "So let us speak Klingon."

Jim nodded. Uhura and I left the ship unarmed.

"I am here to help you," Uhura said to the Klingons in their language.

"With respect," I added.

"There is a criminal in these ruins," Uhura said. "He has killed many of our people. You and your people are in danger."

"Why should I care about a human killing humans?" asked one Klingon. He removed his helmet, and I could tell he was the leader.

"Because you care about honour," I said, "And this man has none."

The Klingon suddenly grabbed Uhura's face and squeezed it until she could not breathe.

I was prepared to come to her defense when multiple shots killed multiple Klingons.

Uhura grabbed the Klingon's knife and stabbed him. Jim, Spock, and the others on the ship came out shooting.

Being no expert in hand-to-hand combat, and having no gun to defend myself with, I was limited with what I could use to escape.

I dodged my attackers using skills I'd learned in gymnastics. It wasn't easy, considering the number of Klingons and the number of objects surrounding me. I was very nearly hit multiple times, and on one of them, I felt a strike of searing pain, and when I looked down, I saw that the scar I'd earned the last time I'd been in a fight with the crew had opened back up.

"Shit," I muttered.

My leg started to go numb and shake. My other leg could no longer support my weight, and I collapsed.

I dragged myself to cover. The Klingons shot over my head at the others. I could only watch as they defended themselves.

I had no skill in the medical field, so my hope of healing myself was lost. I would just have to hold on until we got back to the ship.

Suddenly, I saw Jim get taken down by Klingons only a few feet away from me.

I wanted to do something, but Spock and Uhura got there first. They killed the Klingons and helped him over to where I was.

The other man who'd been helping us shot the remaining Klingons and came over to us. Spock aimed a gun at him, but it got shot out of his hands. The man removed his hood, and I very nearly shrieked. It was John Harrison, the very man we'd come here to capture.

"How many torpedoes?" he asked.

When nobody replied, he said, sharply, "The torpedoes, the weapons you threatened me with in your message, how many are there?"

"72," said Spock.

"I surrender," said Harrison, dropping his gun.

Jim stood up with a look of absolute fury. He hit Harrison repeatedly, but it had no effect on him whatsoever.

So we took him onto the shuttle and left Kronos. Harrison was immediately escorted to a cell by guards. I was hauled to the med bay by Jim and Uhura, who left me in the care of Bones, though when I was treated, I received a comm call from Jim.

"Sophie, we need you in the transporter room," said Jim. "You're gonna want to see this."


	4. Chapter 4: Taylor's Investigation

**This chapter will be from Taylor's POV. This is her investigation into Sophie's mysterious advanced technology. **

Even now, two years later, I was still shell-shocked by the discovery of my best friend Sophie's true identity. I'd been there when she'd received the call from her mom. And now I wanted to figure out this mystery. How on earth did Sophie's mom get her to the 23rd Century in the first place? I've known Mrs. Newton for a long time, and she's not great with technology.

Sophie always told me that if I needed anything from her house, I could just enter the passcode into the door and get what I needed. I went up the stairs and entered the passcode. I stepped into the threshold. Nobody seemed to be home, and then I noticed, right by the entrance, a door I had never seen before. _Where the hell did that come from_? I asked myself.

I opened it cautiously. A bunch of machines surrounded a platform with three glowing circles. On one of the machines, there was a large silver switch with a cherry red handle.

This caught my interest. This was obviously the main switch. I realized that some of the buttons acted as though they had already been pressed.

My curiosity overcame me. I wanted to flip the switch. I wanted to go to the 23rd Century. So I flipped the switch and ran to one of the glowing circles.

I felt like I was being tossed over a wave and going on a steep roller coaster at the same time for a split second, and then I found myself in a room I had never seen before.

Scotty let out a loud shout. Four men in official-looking uniforms came in with stunners. They were aimed at my head.


	5. AN: I'M BEING WATCHED!

Hello, there, guys, it's me, Amazing TEEN Authoress! I thought I would give you guys a quick update on what's going on with me and _Dust and Ashes, Choices, _etc... basically all of my stories that involve my classmates.

**MY ACCOUNT IS BEING WATCHED.**

I should probably tell you how this started:

A couple of weeks ago, on a Friday, on my bus ride home from school, one of the boys in my class told me that he read my story. I was confused, but then I realized that I'd involved him in not one, but two stories: _Far From Home_ and _Twisted_. Then he told me to delete the stories. I didn't want to, but I had to. I realized that I'd given away the town where we lived and where we went to school. I was so stupid! And he said I'd also called him a creep. If you are reading this (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), I am not saying that that's what I believe you are, it was purely for the purposes of the story and the plot, I need a boy in my grade to live across from me, and I needed to make him creepy because it was based off of _Pretty Little Liars_. Anyone who's read the books will know what I'm talking about.

Back to the story. So I asked him how he'd found out, and he said that another boy in my grade told him about my account and he'd read my stories, so I panicked. I started using my Wattpad. I am trying to be careful about what I post. **SOPHIE, IF HE EVER TELLS YOU ABOUT THIS, I APOLOGIZE, I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE A GOOD CHARACTER AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE REVIEWS FOR THIS STORY, YOU WILL SEE THAT I AM RIGHT. I'm SORRY! **


	6. Chapter 5: Taylor's Explanation

I hobbled down to the transporter room, supported by Bones. There, in the room, with guns aimed at her head, was one of my best friends, Taylor Gray. She looked absolutely _terrified_.

"Stand down!" I cried.

"Sophie! Tell these bitches to not aim guns at my head!" Taylor snapped, sounding quite annoyed and scared at the same time.

"Wait, what the hell are you doing here?" I demanded.

"I was at your house, looking for you, and I found this creepy-ass room with equally creepy machines," Taylor explained, "And maybe I flipped a switch or two…"

"You _what_?" I screeched.

"Well, I flipped a switch or two…" Taylor admitted.

"Well, shit," I muttered. "Bones, I need someone to watch her. Can you do that?"

"And why do I need to do that?" Bones asked.

"Because," I said. "I need you to. She doesn't know her way around the ship, and she could get lost. Take her on a tour and then have her help you out while you work. She could use some training in that field."

"Oh, all right," Bones said. "But first you're going back to the med bay."

"Oh, come on, Bones, I've got to navigate a ship here, what use am I going to be if I'm stuck in med bay all night?" I snapped. "You need another night of recovery," Bones insisted.

"No," I protested. "I've got to navigate the damn ship! Since Chekov was made chief engineer, the only one who's as qualified to navigate the ship is me, so I need to report for duty."

"Well, at least come back later," Bones said. "Don't leave me stuck with her all day."

"She's not that bad," I assured him.

"Oh, really?" Bones said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "She sneaks into your house and illegally beams aboard our ship… and she isn't bad?"

"There are different types of bad and Taylor does not qualify for any of them," I said, letting my Vulcan side pour out. "Now, I have to get back to the bridge and report for duty."

Bones looked at me like he was about to protest, but I gave him such a hard stare that he gave up.

"She's a stubborn one," Taylor explained. "Don't know how you've been able to handle her."

Bones rolled his eyes again. "Come on."

I was positive that I would pay for this someday.


	7. Chapter 6: The Suspicions of Bones

"And that there-" Bones paused mid-sentence to point, "Is the bridge."

I was in the middle of my tour of the ship, and Bones was becoming more frustrated with me every minute. Every room we stopped at, I wanted to go into.

"Can we take a peek inside?" I asked.

"For the thousandth time-" Bones rolled his eyes, "_No_." I pouted. He grumbled something about, 'Orders.' I sighed.

"Am I ever going to get to see just _one_ room on this ship?" I asked.

"Not while-" Bones broke off; Sophie came out of the bridge.

"Bones, good," she said. "Jim wants to see you."

"What does he want?" Bones muttered.

"Can I come?" I asked at the same time.

"I suppose so," Sophie said. "Bones, look, I realize that you aren't happy about this job, but you could be a bit more polite. This is a _very_ strange place for Taylor. I think it would make her feel better to have someone _friendly_ supervise her rather than someone who complains."

Bones sighed. "All right."

Bones stalked into the bridge, with Sophie and I following. Jim explained what was going on.

"Are you out of your corn-fed mind?" Bones snapped immediately. "You're not actually going to listen to this guy? He killed Pike, he almost killed you, and now you think it's a good idea to pop open a torpedo because he dared you to."

"Why did he save our lives, Bones?" Jim asked.

"The doctor does have a point, Captain," Spock said.

"Don't agree with me, Spock, it makes me very uncomfortable," Bones said.

"Perhaps you, too, should learn to govern your emotions, doctor," Spock suggested. "In this situation, logic dictates..."

"Logic?" Bones exclaimed in disbelief. "My God, there's a maniac trying to make us blow up our own damn ship and..."

"That's not it. I don't know why he surrendered, but that's not it," said Jim. "We're going to open a torpedo. The question is how."

"But Jim, without Mr. Scott onboard, who exactly is qualified to just pop open a four-ton stick of dynamite?" Bones asked.

"The admiral's daughter appeared to have interest in the torpedoes, and she is a weapons specialist," Spock suggested. "Perhaps she could be of some use."

"What admiral's daughter?" Jim asked.

"Carol Marcus, your new science officer," Spock explained. "The one who forged her identity to board our ship."

"And you were going to tell us this _when_, exactly?" Sophie snapped at him.

"When it became relevant, as it just did," Spock said.

"Right, that's it," Sophie said. "Taylor's already heard more than she should have. Bones, if you could escort her off the bridge, that would be great."

I looked at her incredulously. "But-" I protested.

"_Now_." Sophie gave Bones such a hard stare that he agreed and led me out of the bridge.

"Is anyone going to tell me what that was about?" I asked.

"Look, Sophie's right," Bones said. "You know more than you should already. I'm taking you back to med bay."

I sighed in frustration, but I complied. There was no point in arguing.


	8. Chapter 7: Clearing My Head

I watched Bones leave with Taylor following. I shouldn't have let her come. Now she knows too much. She could become a target.

"I'm going for a walk," I announced. "I need to clear my head."

I left the bridge, my pounding headache growing worse. This stuff was starting to take its toll. Since I'd been so busy, I hadn't had time to realize how much I was being affected by all this.

It was a good thing Taylor had no idea of the danger that we were all really in. I thanked God she never memorized any information from any movie. I debated whether to tell her, but decided against it. She didn't need to know right now.

I sat down, my back to the walls of an empty hallway. I pulled my phone from my sweater's pocket, and my in-ear headphones. I was going to try an exercise I hadn't tried since the destruction of Vulcan.

I put my headphones in and played a random song. I didn't check the artist. I just sat there and thought.

Why had I allowed Taylor to overhear our conversation? Now she knew way too much, and was in more danger than she needed to be in at the moment.

At the same time, a very selfish part of me was glad that Taylor was here, the reason being that I wanted one of my friends to be here with me. I had been lonely, despite the crowds of people around me and the new friends I'd made, the last time I'd been here, and I was a little bit glad that she was here.

I sighed. I was being silly. Taylor would be fine. She could take care of herself. She was 17 years old. Almost 18. In fact, when I thought about it, I was pretty sure I'd missed Taylor's birthday.

My eyelids started to droop. I was exhausted. Maybe I should just close my eyes for a couple minutes. I struggled to keep awake, but I slipped into the peaceful dream world.


	9. Chapter 8: Opening a Torpedo

I didn't realize that I'd fallen asleep until I heard voices calling my name. I heard the sound of running footsteps coming closer. I opened my eyes. Taylor was kneeling above me.

"I've found her!" Taylor exclaimed. "She's fine!"

"Where?" Bones called.

"Down here!" Taylor called back.

Bones came running down the hall. "Thank God, Sophie," Bones said. "I'm being forced to open a torpedo on a deserted planet with Dr. Marcus, and... oh yeah- Spock wants to see you."

I stiffened. "Really?"

"Yeah," Bones said. "As soon as possible."

"Tell him it's gonna have to be after the torpedo is opened," I said.

I followed Taylor to the bridge. "Sophie, may I please speak with you?" Spock asked immediately.

"Not now, Spock. Whatever it is, it can wait until the torpedo has been opened," I said.

The shuttle had been flying for several minutes now. "Mr. Sulu, have Doctors Marcus and McCoy landed on the planetoid yet?" Jim asked.

"Yes, sir," said Sulu. "They're moving the torpedo into position now."

"Good," said Jim. "Any activity from the Klingons?"

"Not yet, but if we're here much longer, there will be," I said.

"Lieutenant Uhura, did you let Starfleet know that we have Harrison in custody?" Jim asked.

"Yes, sir," Uhura replied. "No response yet."

"Engineering to bridge!" said Chekov over the comm. "Hello! Captain, can you hear me?"

"Mr. Chekov, give me some good news," Jim said.

"We found ze leak, sir," Chekov informed him, "But ze damage is substantial. We are vorking on it."

"Any idea what caused it?" Jim asked.

"No, sir," said Chekov, "But I accept full responsibility."

"Something tells me it wasn't your fault," said Jim. "Stay on it."

"Shuttle is standing by, Captain," Sulu reported.

"Bones," Jim said, "Thanks for helping out. Dr. Marcus asked for the steadiest hands on the ship."

"You know, when I dreamt about being stuck on a deserted planet with a gorgeous woman, there was no torpedo!" Bones said irritably.

"Dr. McCoy, may I remind you, you are not there to flirt," Jim reminded him.

"So how can these legendary hands help you, Dr. Marcus?" Bones asked.

"Bones," Jim sighed.

"To understand how powerful these weapons are, we need to open the warhead," said Carol. "To do that, we need to access the fuel compartment. Unfortunately for us, the warheads on these weapons are live."

"Sweetheart, I once performed an emergency C-section on a pregnant Gorn." That was Bones's way of saying, _No big deal_. "Octuplets. And let me tell you, those little bastards bite. I think I can work some magic on your missile." Jim rolled his eyes.

"Dr. McCoy, there's a bundle of fibre optic cables against the inner casing," said Carol. "You'll need to cut the 23rd wire down. Whatever you do, do not touch anything else. Do you understand?"

"Right," said Bones. "The thought never crossed my mind."

"Dr. McCoy, wait for my word," Carol instructed. "I'm rerouting the detonation processer. Are you ready?"

"And raring," Bones muttered.

"Good luck," said Carol.

Bones let out a yell. "Sir, the torpedo just armed itself," said Sulu.

I looked at Taylor. Her hands were in fists so tight her knuckles were turning white.

"The torpedo's going to detonate in 30 seconds, sir!" said Darwin.

"What the hell happened?" Bones shouted. "I can't get my arm out!"

"Target their signal, beam them back right now," Jim said.

"The transporter cannot differentiate between Dr. McCoy and the torpedo," Spock informed him. "We cannot beam back one without the other."

"Dr. Marcus, can you disarm it?" Jim asked.

"I'm trying," Carol assured him. "I'm trying."

"Jim, get her the hell out of here!" Bones exclaimed.

"No!" Carol protested. "If you beam me back, he dies! Let me do it!"

The little colour left in Taylor's cheeks drained.

"Ten, nine, eight..." Bones started to count down.

"Standing by to transport Dr. Marcus on your command, sir," said Sulu.

"Four, three..." Bones continued.

"Shit!" Dr. Marcus exclaimed, and the torpedo disarmed.

"Deactivation successful, Captain," said Spock.

The colour returned to Taylor's cheeks, and her fists unclenched. She ran her hand through the hair on the crown of her head.

"Dr. McCoy, are you all right?" Jim asked.

When he didn't reply, Jim called, "Bones?"

"Jim," said Bones, "You're gonna want to see this."


	10. Chapter 9: Reunion

When Bones returned and Jim went to interrogate John Harrison, I spoke with Spock. I waited for him outside the bridge, leaning casually against the wall. When he exited, I blocked his way.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked.

"I was very interested to see that you had returned," said Spock.

"Jim called me in for help," I explained. "I think he thinks that I know something that the rest of the crew doesn't."

"But how could you?" Spock said. "You only found out about us two years ago."

I didn't have the heart to tell him how I knew exactly what was going to happen.

Was I going crazy? Here I was, alone in an empty hallway with the man I'd dreamed about for two years, and I was acting like nothing had ever happened between us. Maybe it was because I had a boyfriend now, I didn't know. Determined to keep our relationship intact, I took a hesitant step forward.

"Spock, I realize that I may have been... disloyal. I did get a boyfriend when I went back," I admitted. "I didn't give a second thought to it at first, but now I am." It was true, I realized. I didn't care whether my relationship with Evan stayed or disbanded. "I didn't think I would ever come back. Since the communicator, I thought that maybe that that was all that was going to happen. I would have talked to you earlier, but then the stuff with the Klingons and the Taylor stuff happened, and then-" I sighed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry."

And then, something happened that I wasn't expecting. We came so close to each other that our hands were touching. His head bent down, and we kissed.

Cheating on a boyfriend was nothing like the movies. Somehow, I didn't think everybody felt like this when they cheated. I hadn't expected cheating to feel this... amazing.

When we broke apart, my heart was soaring. I felt lightheaded, not in a bad way. "Do you think we're really safe here?" I asked. "Our orders were to kill John Harrison. What's going to happen now that he's on board?"

"He won't do anything to anyone," Spock promised. "I won't let him. He won't get near you."

I smiled. "What do you think I'm supposed to do about Bones and Taylor?" I asked. "It's clear they don't like each other. Well, I think Taylor might... like Bones, even if just a little."

"Yes, I have noticed that, too," Spock agreed. "They will be fine."

"Okay, we should get back to work," I said. "Thank you."

"For what?" Spock asked.

"Everything," I said.


	11. Chapter 10: Marcus's Betrayal

I followed Spock into the med bay. The opened torpedo lay on the ground, examined by Carol, Bones, and Taylor

"What have we got?" Jim asked.

"It's quite clever, actually," said Carol. "This fuel container's been removed from the torpedo and retrofitted to hide this cryo tube."

"Is he alive?" Jim asked.

"He's alive," Taylor confirmed. She now wore a silver short-sleeved dress and held a bunch of equipment. "But if we try to revive him without the proper sequencing, it could kill him."

I looked at Taylor. What did she know about all this stuff?

"This technology is beyond me," said Bones.

"How advanced, Doctor?" Spock asked.

"It's not advanced," said Carol. "That cryo tube is ancient."

"We haven't needed to freeze anyone since we developed warp capability," Bones explained, "Which explains the most interesting thing about our friend here. He's 300 years old."

My head snapped up in interest. I looked directly at Taylor. She nodded. "Outside," I said, nodding at the door.

"_300 years old_?" I cried almost immediately.

"Almost as old as we technically are," Taylor said. "I've done the math. It's 2256 now, minus 300 years equals 1956. That's, like, way close to World War II. We weren't even _born_ then. My _parents_ wouldn't have been born then."

"Oh my God," I whispered. "I've _heard_ of this guy before!"

I turned my phone on and found an old news article that my mom thought I would be interested in.

**WAR CRIMINAL CONDEMNED TO DEATH FOR SAVAGERY **

**War criminal Khan was condemned to death and sent into exile along with the crew of his ship for savagery inflicted upon the human race. For more details, see A4. **

"He's in the news!" Taylor cried. "Oh my God, you're saying that, all this time, this universe really did exist, and we didn't know it?"

"Bridge to Sophie," said Sulu. "There's a ship at warp heading right for us."

Taylor and I looked at each other and sprinted to the bridge. "By the way," I had to ask, "What's up with you and Bones?"

"We kinda kissed," Taylor said blatantly, running as she spoke. So THAT was why she'd warmed up to him so quickly. I was wondering why they'd gone from zero to colleagues in half an hour.

I sat in my chair, Taylor sat in an empty one. The ship appeared. It was huge, black, and unlike any ship I'd seen before.

"They're hailing us, sir," said Uhura.

"On screen," Jim instructed. "Broadcast ship wide, for the record."

A face appeared on screen. "Captain Kirk," said Admiral Marcus.

I let out the breath I'd been holding. "Admiral Marcus, I wasn't expecting you," said Jim. "That's a hell of a ship you got there."

"And I wasn't expecting to get word that you'd taken Harrison into custody in violation of your orders," said Admiral Marcus.

"Well, we, uh... we had to improvise when our warp core unexpectedly malfunctioned," Jim explained. "But you already knew that, didn't you, sir?"

"I don't take your meaning," said Marcus.

"Well, that's why you're here, isn't it, to assist with our repairs?" Jim asked. "Why else would the head of Starfleet personally come to the edge of the Neutral Zone?"

"Captain, they're scanning our ship," said Sulu.

"Is there something I can help you find, sir?" Jim asked.

"Where is your prisoner, Kirk?" asked Marcus.

"Per Starfleet regulation, I'm planning on returning Khan to Earth to stand trial," Jim explained.

"Well, shit," said Marcus. "You talked to him. Exactly what I was hoping to spare you from. I took a tactical risk, and I woke that bastard up, believing that his superior intelligence could help us protect ourselves from whatever came at us next. But I made a mistake, and now the blood of everybody he's killed is on my hands. So I'm asking you, give him to me, so I can end what I started."

"And what exactly would you like me to do with the rest of his crew, sir?" Jim asked. "Fire them at the Klingons, end 72 lives? Start a war in the process?"

"He put those people in those torpedoes," Marcus said. "And I simply didn't want to burden you with knowing what was inside of them. You saw what this man can do all by himself. Can you imagine what would happen if we woke up the rest of his crew?" His voice was rising. "What else did he tell you, that he's a peacekeeper? He's playing you, son, don't you see that? Khan and his crew were condemned to death as war criminals. And now it is our duty to carry out that sentence before anybody else dies because of him. Now I'm going to ask you again. One last time, son. Lower your shields. Tell me where he is."

"He's in engineering, sir," Jim lied. "But I'll have him moved to the transporter room right away."

"I'll take it from here," said Marcus. The transmission ended.

"Go to the med bay," I snapped at Taylor. "It's not safe here."

"But-" Taylor protested.

"Go!" I exclaimed. Taylor jumped up and bolted from the bridge.

"Do not drop those shields," said Jim.

"Aye, sir," said Sulu.

"Captain, given your awareness of Khan's true location in the med bay, may I know the details of your plan?" Spock asked.

"I told Marcus we were bringing a fugitive back to Earth," said Jim. "That's what we're going to do." He turned on the comm. "Mr. Chekov, can we warp?"

"Sir, if we go to warp, we run ze risk of seriously damaging ze core," said Chekov.

"Can we do it?" Jim asked.

"Technically, yes, but I would not adwise it, Captain," said Chekov.

"Noted," Jim said. "Mr. Sulu, set course for Earth."

"Yes, sir," said Sulu. Jim sat back down in the captain's chair, and I in mine.

"Punch it," said Jim.

With that, the ship warped away from the neutral zone and from the Starfleet Admiral who'd betrayed us.


End file.
